Electrical marker lamp



Oct. '16, 1962 J. TEDRICK 3,059,134

ELECTRICAL MARKER LAMP Filed Dec. 4, 1959 mmvron. V (/0/7/7 Ted/fez States Pate free 3,059,134 ELECTRICAL MARKER LAW John Tedrick, 8417 E. 19th St., Tulsa, Okla. Filed Dec. 4, 1959, Ser. No. 857,388 1 Claim. (Cl. 313110) This invention relates to electrically operated light producing devices and particularly to an electrical marker lamp adapted to be mounted on a vehicle or the like to serve as a warning signal during operation of the lamp.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an electrical marker lamp having a substantially solid body of translucent material mounting incandescent filament means therein, with the body being constructed in a manner so that a housing for the lamp is unnecessary and the body may be secured directly to the external surface of the vehicle.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a marker lamp comprising a solid body of translucent material as defined above wherein such body has a relatively fiat face adapted to be disposed in abutting relationship to the outer face of the vehicle, and with the body having at least a pair of passages therethrough in normal relationship to the flat face thereof for receiving screws or the like to secure the lamp to the vehicle and without other attaching means being required.

Another significant object of the invention is to provide a marker lamp as described which may be formed of various materials and molded into desired configuration, to thereby lower the cost of the unit and permitting production of a lamp of any desired external configuration.

Also an important aim of the invention is to provide a marker lamp wherein the leads operably coupled to the incandescent filament disposed in an evacuated area provided in the central part of the lamp body, are embedded in the lamp body and extend through the flat face thereof to permit connection of such leads to an external source of power and without socket means or the like being required.

Other important objects and details of construction of the present electrical marker lamp will become obvious or be explained in greater detail as the following specification progresses.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of one form of an electrical marker lamp embodying the concepts of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical, cross-sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. '1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical, cross-sectional view on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of another form of the electrical marker lamp and having a different lamp body configuration;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view on the line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a third form of the electrical marker lamp illustrating another lamp body configuration; and

FIG. 8 is a vertical, sectional view on the line 88 of FIG. 7.

An electrical marker lamp broadly designated 10, embodying the preferred concepts and external configuration of the instant invention, is illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings. Lamp 10 comprises a substantially solid body 12 of translucent material which may be either glass or a suitable synthetic resin material having the required heat and stress resistant characteristics. The material from which body 12 is formed preferably has coloring material therein which particularly adapts lamp 10 for utilization as a signal marker, the most usual colors of body 12 being red or amber. The preferred configuration of body 12 is generally elliptical as far as the outer peripheral shape thereof is concerned, at the zone of juncture of the rounded surface 14 of body 12 with lower flat face 16'. Thus, it can be seen that body 12 is generally U-shaped in transverse section, as shown in FIG. 3.

Body 12 is provided with a central, generally spherical, evacuated area 18 spaced from fiat face 16 and receiving an incandescent filament wire 20 disposed in spanning relationship to area 18. A pair of electrical connector wires 22 and 24 are embedded in body 12, extend through flat face 16 thereof, and are operably connected to respective opposed ends of incandescent wire 20. It is to be preferred that tubular insulators 26 be provided in surrounding protective relationship to wires 22 and 24 respectively, with corresponding extremities of insulators 26 also being partially embedded in body 12, as best shown in FIG. 2. It is of especial note that area 18 within body 12 is presented by a spherical inner surface of body 12 and not by a globe-shaped member placed in body 12 during construction thereof.

Body 12 also has at least a pair of elongated, rectilinear passages 28 and 30 therein with the axes of the same in perpendicular relationship to a plane through fiat face 1 6. The ends of passages 28 and 30 remote from face 16 communicate with corresponding, transversely triangularly shaped recesses 32 and 34 respectively.

Lamp 10 is adapted to be mounted on the outer surface of a vehicle or the like to be marked without mounting means being required other than screws which are passed through corresponding passages 28 and 30 and into the body of the vehicle. Thus it can be seen that flat face 16 of lamp 12 engages the outer surface of the vehicle in substantially flush relationship thereto, with the heads of the screws extending through passages 28 being received in corresponding recesses 32 and 34 to thereby preclude such heads from projecting outwardly from the arcuate surface 14 of body 12. Upon connection of wires 22 and 24 to a suitable source of electrical power, and upon closing of the circuit within which wires 22 and 24 are disposed, filament 20 is energized to cause the same to glow and thereby transmit light through body 12 in radial directions.

The lamp illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 is substantially identical with lamp 10 with the exception of the configuration of body 112, which is rectangular rather than generally elliptical, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive. Passages 128 and 130 extending through body 112 are preferably disposed on a plane in perpendicular relationship to the normally outermost face 136 as well as the innermost face 116 of body 112, and are likewise adapted to receive screws in the same manner as passages 28 and 30 in body 12. Mounting of lamp 110 on a vehicle is identical with that of lamp 10 and the operation of the lamps is the same.

Electrical lamp 210 illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 differs from lamps 10 and 110 only in the configuration of body 212. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, body 12 is of generally conical configuration, having a conical outer :face 236 as well as a circular inner face 216' adapted to engage the surface of the vehicle upon which lamp 210 is mounted.

This is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 720,445, filed March 10, 1958, entitled Electrical Marker Lamp and which is now abandoned.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

An electrical marker lamp comprising a substantially solid body of translucent material having at least one flat face adapted to abuttingly engage a device to be marked and having an evacuated, substantially centrally disposed area therewithin, the body also being provided with at least a pair of passages therethroug h disposed oppositely on each side of said area and extending from said fiat face through the body to the surface thereof opposed to said flat face,'each of said passages being adapted to receive fastening means for securing the body to the device; a light-giving filament of wire mounted Within and substantially spanning said area; and electrical conduit means embedded in said body, passing through said face ment.

References (Zited in'the file of this patent UNITED SIAIESfPATENTS Dolley Feb. 16, 1897 Plancon Nov. 25, 1902 Hotchner Sept. 29, 1931 Swanson Nov. 19, 1940 Swanson Nov. 7, 1944 Stahl et al. Oct. 10, 1950 

